Intoxalock
Depends
Confidence: Medium
If your state or court mandates an interlock and Intoxalock is your only approved vendor, you have no choice.
New check
Comparison
Intoxalock vs Smart Start
Intoxalock and Smart Start both land on Depends.
Smart Start
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy only if a court, DMV, or program requires an ignition interlock and Smart Start is an approved vendor in your state . then compare its full quote against rivals first.
| Compare | Intoxalock | Smart Start |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Drivers court- or DMV-ordered to install an IID | Court- or DMV-mandated interlock users |
| Who it's not for | Anyone not legally required to have an interlock . this is compliance equipment | Anyone without a court or DMV interlock requirement |
| Privacy | Damaged: a March 2026 cyberattack took Intoxalock's systems down for ~48 hours, stranding drivers in up to 45 states; a class action was reported.⁵ | Publishes a product security page and a secure client portal; no known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Widespread Reddit and Trustpilot service complaints | Staff praised, but billing disputes recur |
| Public sentiment | Reviews split sharply: Intoxalock's own pages show praise, while Reddit and Trustpilot skew negative on malfunctions, fees, and support. | Reviews are split: many customers praise staff and service, while a steady stream of complaints targets billing and confusing pricing.11 |
| Biggest gotcha | Base lease rates vary by state; installation, calibration, and removal are billed separately . get the full total in writing² | $1.99/day is a floor with an asterisk; ask about installation, removal, calibration, and monthly fees in writing. |
Pick Intoxalock when
- Drivers court- or DMV-ordered to install an IID
- Residents of states where Intoxalock is the only approved vendor
- People needing service locations across many states
When Intoxalock is not a fit
- Anyone not legally required to have an interlock . this is compliance equipment
- Drivers in states with other approved vendors; compare first
- Anyone who cannot tolerate downtime . the 2026 outage left cars unstartable
- Fee-sensitive buyers unwilling to audit every contract line
Pick Smart Start when
- Court- or DMV-mandated interlock users
- Drivers in states where Smart Start is approved
- People needing many local service centers
- Non-English speakers (multilingual support claimed)
When Smart Start is not a fit
- Anyone without a court or DMV interlock requirement
- Buyers who just want a voluntary personal breathalyzer
- Employers seeking workplace alcohol-screening programs
- Residents of states where it is not an approved vendor
Sources
- Intoxalock homepageintoxalock.comofficial
- Intoxalock cost and pricingintoxalock.comofficial
- Intoxalock device is horrible . Redditreddit.comreview
- Do not use Intoxalock . Redditreddit.comreview
security
news
- Intoxalock Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- Intoxalock 20 years in industryintoxalock.comofficial
- Intoxalock vs. LifeSafer comparisonintoxalock.comofficial
- L Catterton acquires Intoxalockbglco.comnews
- Smart Start, Inc. Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- 319 Smart Start Reviews . PissedConsumersmart-start.pissedconsumer.comreview
- Smart Start Reviews . ConsumerAffairsconsumeraffairs.comreview
- Smart start . Reddit r/intoxalockreddit.comreview
- Smart Start Reviews and Complaints . ComplaintsBoardcomplaintsboard.comreview
- Ignition Interlock location page with pricing (Omak, WA)smartstartinc.comofficial